1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a siphon adapter that when used with a shut-off device (like a faucet) can aid in removing liquid from containers that would, without this invention, normally be left in the container and wasted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to containers where the drain hole is located higher than the bottom of the container and the container is situated so that there is clearance below the bottom of the container to allow for the use of the invention. The main application is with metal or plastic drums used in industry to transport, store and dispense liquids. The most typical drum sizes are 55 U.S. gallons and 30 U.S. gallons. However, this invention could be used on any size drum.
In most industrial settings, many different liquids are used on a regular basis. Dispensing liquids from drums can be done in a vertical or horizontal position. To dispense liquids in a vertical position, one of the bung plugs needs to be removed and replaced with a pump which reaches to the bottom of the drum. The liquid is then removed as needed until there is very little liquid remaining in the drum.
Horizontal dispensing is preferred because the drums can be stored on racks in a much more space-efficient manner. To dispense liquids in a horizontal position, a faucet and a vent are installed in the bungholes while the drum is vertical. The drum is then placed in its horizontal position on a rack. Because the bunghole is located in from the edge of the drum, the liquid will stop flowing when the liquid reaches the lower edge of the bunghole. Typically, approximately two U.S. gallons of the liquid remain in the drum.
The current solutions for trying to remove the remaining liquid are: while still in the rack, manually raising the backside of the drum (if it is accessible), or to manually pull the drum out of the rack somewhat to let it hang down in the front. Both of these methods could be dangerous to employees and still result in residual liquid remaining in the drum. The remaining liquid is valuable and it typically is discarded with the drums when they are recycled or scrapped. Therefore there is a longfelt need to easily, cheaply and safely remove a greater percentage of liquid from a drum laying in a horizontal position. Further, recent government regulations require that all but 3% of the liquid in a drum must be removed.